Let’s be honest. What this post is really about is what blogs this leadership blog writer reads, simply because these blogs may be of benefit to you. Like you, I skim read a number of blogs and newsletters. But there are only three writers who consistently offer me compelling reading.
What’s interesting is what gets frontline managers and executives fired. While there is some basic commonality between frontline leadership and senior leadership, senior leaders get promoted for certain abilities that aren’t necessarily required of frontline leaders, they get fired for different things, and their role is fundamentally different.
There’s an easy way for you to practically apply the Dead Man’s Test. The easy way to pass the test is to avoid saying ‘don’t’. Or to put it another way, don’t say don’t.
It’s quite amazing what dead men don’t do. But dead men can teach you something about Effective Leadership.
The ability for senior leaders to promote a compelling vision, and for managers to consistently remind people how their work contributes to the mission, vision and values of the organisation, is critical. But it is only part of leadership.
In last week’s post I discussed the importance of people managers in driving organisational performance. This week, let’s examine leading even when you have no management or leadership role.
A recent article in the NZ Herald highlighted the work of Robin Sharma, author of the bestselling book The Monk who sold his Ferrari.
It turns out that Sharma is something of a leadership guru, in a personal development kind of way. For example, the marketing for his latest book, The Leader who had no Title, recommends that you ‘get ready for an amazing new life’ once you’ve read it.
Every organisation has a purpose. A story about who they are and what they seek to achieve. How this story is framed and communicated is a critical part of creating an engaged, motivated and productive workplace.
Easter gave me the opportunity to think about the leadership of Jesus Christ. Christ consistently set an example for others to follow. In doing so he earned the right and respect to lead millions of people through the centuries since his death on the cross. I personally believe that when Christ said, “I am the Way” he meant that he was an example of what we all could do for ourselves.
Generally leadership development is focussed on an event, such as a training workshop. However, Effective Leadership development is more of a process which occurs over time. This means that it requires much more than attending a training workshop. It requires on-going support, follow-up and feedback. In short, it requires on-going contact.